Identifying and modeling the contribution of nuclear receptors to environmental obesogen-induced toxicity in bone

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https://hdl.handle.net/2144/19516

Abstract

Bone is a dynamic tissue, where bone forming osteoblasts and bone resorbing osteoclasts maintain homeostasis. Research into bone toxicology has largely focused on pharmaceutical side effects adversely affecting bone development. However, many environmental toxicants can regulate bone homeostasis. Recently, the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) has emerged as an important target of environmental toxicants. PPARγ dimerizes with the retinoid-X receptor alpha (RXRα), is a central transcription factor in adipogenesis, and in bone can transdifferentiate osteoblasts into adipocytes by suppressing osteogenic pathways. The central hypothesis of this dissertation is that environmental chemicals can adversely affect bone homeostasis by activating nuclear receptors in bone cells – particularly osteoblasts and osteoclasts – to perturb cellular differentiation and function. Three study aims were developed to test and refine this hypothesis. First, a set of structurally diverse environmental PPARγ agonists were individually applied to mouse primary bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell cultures undergoing osteogenic differentiation. In vitro PPARγ ligand treatment suppressed osteogenesis and stimulated adipogenesis. Organotin compounds (tributyltin, triphenyltin) in particular more efficaciously suppressed osteogenesis. The second aim characterized the effects of in vivo tributyltin exposure on bone microarchitecture in female C57Bl/6 mice. Tributyltin exposure resulted in a thinner cortical bone, but significantly increased trabecular mineralization. Further analyses suggested that tributyltin did not suppress osteoclast numbers but rather changed osteoclast function, minimally attenuating the resorptive function and enhancing their ability to generate osteogenesis-stimulating factors. Furthermore, tributyltin activated not only PPARγ, but also RXR and liver X receptors. The third aim established the utility of Generalized Concentration Addition in modeling PPARγ activation by mixtures of full and partial PPARγ agonists. A complex mixture of multiple phthalate compounds activated an in vitro PPARγ reporter assay, and the individual dose-responses of each compound were used to construct modeled responses. The comparisons of empirical data and model predictions supported the use of Generalized Concentration Addition in modeling a complex mixture of environmental PPARγ agonists. Together, these studies support and establish important toxicological mechanisms related to PPARγ and RXRα activation in different aspects of bone biology and provide a basis for studying mixture effects of PPARγ agonists.